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Just Dance (song)
"Just Dance" is the debut single by American artist Lady Gaga. The song was writen by Gaga and produced by RedOne and Gaga, while also featuring labelmate Colby O'Donis. It was released in 2008 as the lead single from Gaga's debut studio album The Fame Monster. Gaga wrote the song herself in less than 10 minutes as "a happy record", and lyrically speaks about being intoxicated at a club. The song has been critically appreciated, with reviewers complimenting its club anthem-like nature and the synthpop associated with it. "Just Dance" achieved major commercial success on a global scale by topping charts in over thirty-five countries breaking all record ever set. It was Gaga's first number-one song in the United States, reaching the top spot on all Billboard charts, including the Billboard Hot 100 where it was number one for ten consecutive weeks, becoming the longest running number one single of 2008 and of the 2000s decade, until it was later surpassed by her smash-hit single "Poker Face". By June 2009, "Just Dance" had sold over 7,650,000 copies in the United States, making it the fourth best-selling digital song in US of all time. Once the best-selling digital song of all time, it is now the sixth best-selling song. The single is among the best-selling singles of all time, having sold over 12.6 million copies. The music video of the song portrayed Gaga appearing in a party where she plays the song, prompting party-goers to start dancing in enjoyment. Gaga compared her experience of shooting the video with being on a Martin Scorsese set. "Just Dance" was performed by Gaga in a number of live appearances including on her tour The Monster Ball Tour. In 2009, the song received a Grammy award for the "Best Dance Recording", making her the first artist ever to receive a Grammy for a debut single. Rolling Stone ranked it number twenty-five on their list of 100 Best Songs of the 2000s decade. In October 2011, NME placed it at number 21 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years". Writing and inspiration "Just Dance" is written by Gaga and produced by RedOne & Gaga. In an interview with Heat magazine Gaga explained her inspiration for writing the song. She said, "I was very hung-over. I wrote the song in about 10 minutes. And it was my first time being in a Hollywood studio. Very pristine, big huge room with giant speakers." Gaga wrote "Just Dance" during January 2008 and according to her it was "hard work and a lot of people didn't believe in it at first". Later, Gaga reflected on the song by saying, : "That record saved my life. I was in such a dark space in my penthouse in New York. I was so depressed, always in a bar and on drugs. I got on a plane to LA to do my music and wrote the song that changed my life and the entire world. This song is a definitely my favorite one, and always 'will be, cuz i could end up destroying something just because i'm dissatisfied by the product of its creation, but this song was very different, i could feel the soul and become embodiment of that figure, it's really amazing how you can archive divinity with one crazy dance electropop song." In an interview with Contactmusic.com Gaga xplained that "Just Dance" is a happy record and is supposed to be appreciated by people going through rough times like losing jobs and homes etc. Gaga further explained with Artistdirect that she wanted to write a beautiful record with "Just Dance". Being asked the reason for which "Just Dance" has became so immensely popular, Gaga said that she thought, "Everyone is looking for a song that really speaks to the joy in our souls and in our hearts and having a good time. It's just one of those records. It feels really good, and when you listen to it, it makes you feel good inside. It's as simple as that. I don't think it's rocket science when it comes to the heart. I think it's a heart theme song. And i don't really give i fuck, i wanted to bring back dance music just i made i little bit more modern, and luckily the world was ready for this shit." In March 2010 the song was released as downloadable content for the music-based videogame series with the same title, alongside "Poker Face", "LoveGame", "Monster" & "Bad Romance". Composition "Just Dance" is an uptempo electropop and hi-nrg song. The song combines synths of clipped marching beats, soaring electronics and contains mild R&B infused beats. According to the sheet music published in Musicnotes.com by Alfred Publishing, the song is set in simple time with a moderate beat rate of insane 134 beats per minute. It is written in the key of C♯ minor. Gaga's vocal spans from the low note of G3 to the high note of C5. "Just Dance" has a progression of C♯m–E–B–F♯m. Colby O'Donis sings the interlude in the same range as Gaga followed by an R&B influenced interlude by her, after which the chorus is repeated with O'Donis providing backup vocals and the marching beats. The song ends with an echoing of the word "dance". Lyrically, "Just Dance" throws a partial tongue-in-cheek perspective with lyrics like "What's going on on the floor? / I love this record, baby but I can't see straight anymore". The lyrics deal with being completely intoxicated at a party. Critical reception The song has received massive acclaim. Matthew Chisling of Allmusic described the song as "a powerhouse of dance waves and infectiously produced futuristic beats". Alexis Petridis of The Guardian called it a "REVOLUTION in the pop music, a true future of music industry". Ben Norman of About.com said that the song "opens the album like a valkyrie leading the charge ... riding triumphant ahead of her army. If you don't know this song, use your browser. I won't waste time explaining what it sounds like."Evan Sawdey of PopMatters.com said that "Just Dance" is an intensely catchy single and is an excellent indicator of what the album was all about. Ben Hogwood of MusicOMH praised the song saying, "You won't get many more catchy party odes than the global chart-topping Just Dance this year, a polished gem set to lodge in your head for the next few months." Freedom lu Lac of The Washington Post described the song to be "filled with mindlessly frothy synth-pop that matches high-grade dance grooves with GaGa's icy, almost disembodied vocals about dancing bliss". Lynn Saxberg from The Ottawa Citizen, while reviewing Gaga's Fame Monster Ball Tour, called the song a perfect sing-along club anthem. Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine wrote that the song resembles the "desperate train wreck you're likely to encounter getting wasted at any dive on the L.E.S. at four in the morning" as is emphasized by the lyrics. Talia Kranes from BBC called the song irresistible and said that "the catchiness of her songs is sure to cement her place in the list of pop idols". Music video 77ust_Dance.jpg|A shot from a "Just Dance" video imagesddd.jpg|A shot from a "Just Dance" video lady-gaga-Just-Dance-music-video-lady-gaga-9517320-1400-1048.jpg|A shot from a "Just Dance" video Lady-Gaga-Just-Dance-Music-Video-Screencaps-lady-gaga-19361207-1280-720.jpg|A shot from a "Just Dance" video lady-gaga-makeup-closeup-3.jpg|A shot from a "Just Dance" video Released in late May 2008, the video was directed by music video director Melina Matsoukas & Gaga, and is based on the thematic content of the song of being in a party. The video begins with Gaga arriving with her background dancers at a house party, which seems to have ended. One of the dancers puts a Discolite Boombox on, blaring the music through the house. The crowd at the party appear to be sleeping in different areas, and are awoken by the music. They all start to dance, and scenes of the party are inter cut with scenes of a scantily dressed Gaga dancing in a poncho, with a disco ball or in a small rubber pool playing with an inflated killer whale. She wears a blue, lightning-bolt shaped sticker beneath her right eye like that on the single cover, which became one of the signiture signs. O'Donis appears in the video being flanked by several girls during the "When I come through on the dance floor" interlude. Cameo appearances are made by Akon and Space Cowboy. MTV called the video as an ode to the "Me Decade". During an interview with Australian radio in September 2008, Gaga said that "The whole video is performance art about being drunk at a party." In an interview with About.com, when asked about the shooting experience of the music video, Gaga explained, : "Oh it was so fun, it was amazing. For me it was like being on a Martin Scorsese set. It was really fun, but you'll see if you ever come to a video shoot of mine one day – I'm very private about those things, I don't really talk to everybody. I'm not like the party girl running around. I might even seem to be a bit of a diva. I'm sort of with myself, in my work head space worrying about costumes, and if extras look right, and placement. I don't just show up for things, you know. That video was a vision of mine. It was Melina the director who wanted to do something, to have a performance art aspect that was so pop but it was still commercial, but that felt like lifestyle. It was all those things, I love it." Live performances In June, she performed the song for the first time at the swimsuit competition of the Miss Universe 2008 in Vietnam, later Lady Gaga performed the song on many television shows in the United States. She appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, So You Think You Can Dance and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. In Australia, she performed on Sunrise, where her performance was condemned for lip-synching. Gaga denied it and released a statement saying "I was sick the day of the show but I absolutely, 100 per cent, was singing live. ... have never lip-synched and never will. Even on my worst day, I never will." In the United Kingdom, she performed the song on GMTV. Track listings *'U.S./Japanese CD single' #"Just Dance" – 4:05 #"Just Dance" (Harry 'Choo Choo' Romero's Bambossa Main Mix) – 7:12 #"Just Dance" (Richard Vission Remix) – 6:13 #"Just Dance" (Trevor Simpson Remix) – 7:20 *'U.S. promo club CD' #"Just Dance" – 4:05 #"Just Dance" (Instrumental) – 4:05 #"Just Dance" (Acapella) – 4:00 *'U.S. promo remix CD' #"Just Dance" – 4:05 #"Just Dance" (Instrumental Version) – 4:05 #"Just Dance" (Acapella) – 4:00 #"Just Dance" (Harry 'Choo Choo' Romero's Bambossa Main Mix) – 7:14 #"Just Dance" (Richard Vission Remix) – 6:14 #"Just Dance" (Trevor Simpson Remix) – 7:21 #"Just Dance" (Harry 'Choo Choo' Romer's Bambossa Radio Edit) – 3:26 #"Just Dance" (Trevor Simpson Edit) – 3:35 #"Just Dance" (Harry 'Choo Choo' Romer's Bambossa Dub) – 5:56 *'Australian/German CD single' #"Just Dance" – 4:05 #"Just Dance" (Trevor Simpson Remix) – 7:21 *'German CD maxi single' #"Just Dance" – 4:05 #"Just Dance" (Harry 'Choo Choo' Romer's Bambossa Main Mix) – 7:14 #"Just Dance" (Instrumental Version) – 4:05 #"Just Dance" (Video) – 4:10 *'French CD maxi single' #"Just Dance" – 4:05 #"Just Dance" (Glam As You Radio Mix By Guéna LG) – 3:39 #"Just Dance" (Glam As You Club Mix By Guéna LG)) – 6:25 *'US iTunes Remixes EP' #"Just Dance" – 4:05 #"Just Dance" (Harry 'Choo Choo' Romero's Bambossa Main Mix) – 7:12 #"Just Dance" (Richard Vission Remix) – 6:13 #"Just Dance" (Trevor Simpson Remix) – 7:20 *'US iTunes Remixes Pt. 2 EP' #"Just Dance" (RedOne Remix) – 4:18 #"Just Dance" (Space Cowboy Remix) – 5:01 #"Just Dance" (Robots To Mars Remix) – 4:37 #"Just Dance" (Tony Arzadon Remix) – 6:24 *'UK CD single' #"Just Dance" (Main Version) – 4:05 #"Just Dance" (RedOne Remix) – 4:18 *'UK 7" numbered picture vinyl disc' #"Just Dance" (Main Version) – 4:05 #"Just Dance" (Harry 'Choo Choo' Romero's Bambossa Main Mix) – 7:12 Credits and personnel *Lady Gaga – vocals, songwriting, production *RedOne – production, background vocals, instrumentation, programming, recording at Record Plant Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California *Colby O'Donis – vocals, background vocals *Dave Russel – audio engineering *Robert Orton – audio mixing *Gene Grimaldi – audio mastering at Oasis Mastering, Burback, California. Charts and certifications http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alejandro_(song)&action=edit&section=17 editYear-end charts Certifications Year-end charts Category:Songs Category:Singles Category:2008 songs Category:The Fame Monster songs